Posts Tagged ‘Heating’

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How a Ceiling Fan Can Help Heat Your Richmond Home

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Most people in Richmond who have ceiling fans never turn them on in the winter. They assume that the fan is designed solely to cool the house – after all, blowing air feels pretty nice doesn’t it? But, a ceiling fan can actually help to move heat around your home and lower your heating bill if used properly. Here are some tips to do just that.

Rotating Warm Air

Warm air naturally rises. So, when you turn on your furnace and the blower fan pushes warm air through your ductwork into the various rooms of your home, the warm air immediately rises to the ceiling. So, for the room to feel as comfortable as you want it, you must wait for enough heat to circulate into the room to displace the cold air that was already there.

However, instead of waiting for warm air to fill the room, you can circulate the warm air as it arrives with a ceiling fan. By turning on your ceiling fan and changing the direction so it blows down (which most people already have it set to), the warm air will be pushed toward the floor, mixing it smoothly into the room and keeping you more comfortable without having the furnace on constantly.

This does two things. First, it keeps the room comfortable regardless of when the furnace cycles on or off. Second, it keeps the thermostat reading stable so the furnace doesn’t cycle on and off so quickly. If the warm air regularly rises up and the lower levels begin to cool, your furnace will frequently turn on and off as it tries to maintain the same temperature.

A Low Cost Addition to Your Home

Ceiling fans are inexpensive and aesthetically pleasing. They move air throughout the room, keep warmth low where you need it and can help reduce your energy bill in multiple ways. If you’re not sure whether a ceiling fan is right for you, talk to a Richmond technician about just how much money one of these simple devices can save you. I bet you’ll be convinced.

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Why Does My New Westminster Furnace’s Pilot Light Keep Going Off?

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

We often forget how much we rely upon the mechanical infrastructure of our homes. It usually takes some unanticipated calamity to remind us of how fortunate we really are. There is nothing like a good blizzard or hurricane to remind us of how nice it is to have amenities such as electric lights and temperature controlled houses to live in.

At times, however, it does not take a natural disaster to deprive us of a warm house. Something as simple as a temperamental pilot light can turn the heat off when it is most needed. Here are a couple of ways in which pilot lights can fail:

  • Furnaces require a vent pipe that goes up through the roof. At times, a heavy or gusty wind can blast down this pipe and snuff out the pilot light somewhat like a child blowing out the candles on a birthday cake. If this happens a lot, fitting a small secondary wind shield on the vent pipe can sometimes make the problem disappear.
  • Like all other mechanical parts, pilot lights get old. The constant flame from the pilot light burns away the metallic core of the furnace’s thermocoupling a little at a time. Over decades, this can cause the thermocoupling to fail, which in turn automatically shuts off the gas supply to the furnace. Replacing the old thermocoupling with a new one should cure this.
  • Particularly with propane furnaces, faulty gas regulators can cause the gas supply to ebb and flow. Improperly functioning regulators can freeze or cause gas supply surges that cause the pilot light to extinguish itself.

As you can see, there are a number of ways in which a pilot light can fail. A good, licensed mechanical contractor can quickly assess the situation and perform the necessary repairs at a minimal cost while ensuring the safety of the family in the home. Yet the best solution for an aging furnace with a balky pilot light is to look into the convenience and cost savings of a brand new energy-efficient furnace.

Not only do new furnaces provide much more heat while using much less gas, they also eliminate the pilot light completely. The beauty of the new design is that you do not have to keep your pilot light burning expensive natural gas or propane all summer long just in case it gets cold at night. The new systems are always ready to go but never burn an ounce of gas until they switch on. They are much safer, are better for the environment, and pay for themselves with the savings in utility costs.

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A Surrey Heating Contractor Tip: What Makes a Furnace High Efficiency?

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

You’ve probably heard about the new lines of high efficiency furnaces being released by popular home heating companies in Surrey, but what exactly is different about these high efficiency devices from your current furnace? Let’s take a closer look at what a high efficiency furnace offers and why it can save you money.

Added Features

A high efficiency furnace uses familiar technology in a new way to reduce the amount of energy lost when combustion takes place. This means:

  • Sealed Combustion – Instead of open combustion which allows heat to escape during and after the combustion process, a high efficiency furnace uses a sealed chamber with carefully measured and fed airflow to burn fuel and produce heat. Exhaust heat can then be recaptured and used to heat air transferred to your air vents.
  • Two Stage Gas Valves – With a two stage gas valve, your furnace can respond to the temperature outside. There isn’t just one “on” switch. The furnace will regulate gas flow based on how much energy is needed to produce heat for your home. So, if there is a sudden burst of cold outside, the furnace will respond accordingly, but for most days when heating needs are low, it will use only the minimum amount of needed gas.
  • Programmable – High efficiency furnaces are now programmable, meaning you can set specific time limits for operation, change thermostat settings digitally and inspect the device through an electronic read out. The level of control given to you by a programmable high efficiency furnace can greatly reduce gas or electricity consumption.

Cost Benefit

The real reason many people are interested in high efficiency furnaces is that they are so much less expensive to operate. Instead of costing hundreds of dollars to run through the winter, they operate the bare minimum needed to heat your home. Using up to 95% of the fuel they consume to produce heat and regulating gas to cut how much is consumed during milder days, these furnaces are built to save you money.

If you have an old furnace that chews through energy like nobody’s business, now might be the time to consider the benefits of a brand new, high efficiency model.

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How a Furnace Works: A Tip from Langley

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

Do you know how your furnace works? Believe it or not, lots of Langley homeowners probably can’t explain the operation of furnace. It probably isn’t at the top of your “to do” list. It’s only important to know that once you set your thermostat to a desired temperature, the furnace comes on and warms the house.

The most common furnace is fueled by natural gas but there are other examples of heating equipment such as boilers, electric baseboard, or geothermal. But let’s look at how a gas furnace works since natural gas is found in most households. Gas furnaces use natural gas or propane to provide energy used for generating heat.

When the temperature in your home falls below the level set on the thermostat, an electric pilot light automatically ignites to heat a burner inside the furnace. This burner uses gas to generate heat within a combustion chamber inside the furnace. After the furnace senses that the thermostat has triggered the flame and that it is properly lit, the actual spark (or ignitor) is turned off.

Simultaneously, a motor in the furnace pulls in air from an exchange or return, which could be a grill in the floor, ceiling, or wall of a house. That air flows through ducts into the plenum of the furnace. The plenum is on the opposite side of the heat exchanger from the burner.

Gas will typically burn for at least two minutes before the blower starts to disperse heat throughout your home. This extra time gives the air an adequate period of time to warm up and also so that cold air won’t be pushed through the vents into the rooms in your house at the start. After either the preset time (roughly two minutes) or pre-established temperature is reached, the blower’s motor is turned on and it blows air over the heat exchanger, which usually consists of a series of copper tubes or pipes. When a fan blows air onto the heat exchanger, the air is heated. This heated air is then blown through a series of ducts to heat your home via vents in the floor, walls or ceiling. Exhaust fumes from the combustion process exit the furnace through a gas flue or chimney.

Just as the heat in your home turns on when a certain temperature is reached, it also turns off after the rooms are warm enough, thanks to your thermostat. The thermostat again senses the temperature in the room. When the room warms up to the temperature set by you at the thermostat, the gas valve is switched off, stopping the flow of gas. After the gas is turned off, the blower motor will still run for a few minutes, allowing the heat exchanger to cool off a bit. In some furnaces, the blower motor never shuts off, but operates at low speed to keep air circulating throughout your home.

In a nutshell, your thermostat is the brain in your heating system and your furnace is the brawn, doing most of the work.

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How Heating Zone Control Can Save You Money in Vancouver

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

The costs of heating your Vancouver home have risen dramatically over the past couple of decades, thanks to higher energy costs and price increases for heating equipment. Despite the strides made in energy efficiency, there seems to be no end in sight for the steady rise in heating equipment operating costs.

Now add in the cost of heating unoccupied areas of your home, such as basements, hallways, or extra bedrooms, and the energy costs go even higher. Most of these costs are unnecessary and avoidable if you have the time and a small investment in a well-planned heating “strategy” for your home. This strategy involves using heating zone controls to make the most efficient use of your heating system.

In a nutshell, here is how heating zone control works. The rooms in your home are connected to your heating system by a series of ductwork, which carries heated and conditioned area to all corners. But some of these areas may not need to be heated as much – or possibly at all – compared to other rooms in your home. For example, do you need heat in your kitchen but not in your basement? Most people would answer yes. Or they may say they need more heat in the kitchen and some, but not very much heat in the basement.

Or try this: do most people in your house spend more time in one room, such as the family room, and less time in their bedrooms? If so, why would it be necessary to heat the bedrooms all of the time? In order to deliver heat to areas in your home that need it the most, the ductwork to these rooms should always be “open.” Ductwork to other unused areas of your home can be “closed” during various times of the day.

Opening and closing of ductwork and airflow is achieved by zone controls. A zone control is installed in the home which electronically or wirelessly opens and closes “dampers” in the ductwork, depending on the heating demand. You can divert heat to areas of your home using zone control and dampers while decreasing the heating load on your furnace. This type of heating zone control will move heated air to where you want it. Simply put, you are not heating areas of your home that don’t need the heat.

The heating zone controls can be programmed for various times of the day, too. For example, you may not need any heat in your basement while you sleep or when you are away from home. You can program the damper in your basement’s ductwork to remain closed or partially open during these times. In a sense, the heating zone control in your home acts like a programmable thermostat – only it uses a series of dampers to control indoor temperatures.

The next time you walk into an unused part of your home, think about how much money you are spending to heat it. It makes sense to consider heating zone controls. The initial costs of installing zone controls and dampers are minimal and the payback in energy savings and comfort are substantial.

Controls save you money.

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Happy Halloween Weekend! (and When To Replace Your Furnace)

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Everyone at Milani wishes you a Happy Halloween weekend! We hope you have a great time dressing up and eating lots of candy! And since you want to be warm when you get back from trick or treating, here is some information how to know if it is time to replace your furnace.

Replacing the furnace in your North Vancouver home is probably not something you want to think about. After all, a new furnace is a big investment and not something you probably have too much experience with. And sometimes having your current system fixed or tuned up is all you need to get your home heating situation back on track. But there are certain situations in which it makes more sense to just go ahead and get a new furnace rather than simply patching up the old one.

For instance, if you have to call for either minor or major repairs to your furnace on a regular basis, it’s probably time to consider investing in a replacement. All of those repairs cost money and chances are that the furnace you’re paying repeatedly to replace isn’t going to last that much longer anyway.

Rather than continuing to dump money into a furnace that just isn’t cutting it anymore, you’ll be better off making the investment in a new unit. The truth is, you’re going to have to do it sooner or later and by buying a new furnace now, you’re actually saving all of the money you would have spent on repairing the old one for another year or so.

Also, a furnace that requires such frequent repairs is probably not functioning all that efficiently either. When you replace it with a newer model, you won’t just save money on repairs. You’ll also likely notice a considerable savings on your monthly energy bills because of how much more efficient your new model is.

Even if you haven’t been repairing your furnace often, you may be able to notice some signs that the old unit isn’t quite up to the task anymore. If you’re suddenly having some significant humidity problems in your house or if your home isn’t being heated evenly, there’s a good chance your furnace is on its way out.

And, in fact, even if your furnace is functioning just fine but is more than 10 years old or so, it’s very likely you’d benefit by replacing it. That’s because the newer furnaces available now are so much more energy efficient than their predecessors that the savings you’ll incur monthly will quickly make up for the initial installation investment.

Of course, you don’t want to get rid of a good furnace if you don’t have to. But if your furnace is getting close to the end of its expected lifespan, you may very well benefit by putting out the money for a new one now so you can start saving right away on your monthly energy bills.

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How do I Check a Gas Furnace Draft Pressure Switch? A Question from Burnaby

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

A draft pressure switch is a device that is placed on a gas furnace as a safety measure. When a furnace is not receiving enough airflow, the draft pressure switch will stop the electrical current to the furnace, which will prevent the furnace from igniting. If your gas furnace is not working, there may be a problem with its draft pressure switch.

How to Check the Draft Pressure Switch on a Gas Furnace

1. Cut off the power to your furnace. To cut off the power to your furnace, you should turn the power switch on your furnace to the off position. You should also turn off the furnace’s power at the circuit breaker.

2. Find the draft pressure switch. You should be able to find the pressure switch by looking for the switch on the outside of the furnace. The switch is circular and bolted to the furnace; it should be located close to the draft inducer motor. A metal tube connects the draft inducer motor to the draft pressure switch.

3. Use a volt-ohm meter to check the amount of voltage going through the draft pressure switch. Begin by touching the tips of your volt-ohm meter’s prongs together to make sure the meter is at zero. Set your volt-ohm meter to 24 volts. Ground the volt-ohm meter by connecting the black probe to the furnace. Put the red probe on top of the metal tube that connects the draft inducer motor and the draft pressure switch.

4. Check the volt-ohm meter. The volt-ohm meter should have a reading of 24 volts or higher if the draft pressure switch is working correctly. If the reading on your volt-ohm meter is less than 24 volts, you should contact a heating and cooling company to check your furnace.

Other Problems That Can Prevent a Gas Furnace From Working

Many gas furnaces are meant to be replaced every 15 to 20 years, so a gas furnace that has stopped working may have simply reached the end of its lifespan. If a furnace stops working before it has reached the end of its lifespan, there are several things that may be the cause. Some of the most common reasons that a gas furnace stops working are a blocked pilot light, an overloaded motor, or a lack of gas.

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Why is My Furnace Turning On and Off? A Question from Vancouver

Monday, October 24th, 2011

One of the most annoying things your furnace can do in your Vancouver home is to constantly keep turning on and off. This on-off cycling keeps your home from heating up properly. This action – called short cycling – also requires more electricity and drives up utility bills.

Short cycling is caused by an overheated furnace, which triggers safety mechanisms and shuts down the furnace. After a brief interval and cooling down, the furnace starts up again the cycle keeps repeating itself. Not only is it an annoyance, it can also signal more serious problems. A leaking heat exchanger can cause a furnace to overheat – and produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.

If a furnace is working too hard and overheating, it is usually because of airflow in and out. Think of the furnace as a human heart. If there is a blockage in the veins and blood flows slowly, a heart has to work harder to pump blood around or through the blockage. Your home’s ventilation system needs to be clear of dirt, dust, and debris. The more blockage in your ductwork and vents, the more friction is created, slowing down airflow and ultimately ending with an overworked furnace that continues to cycle on and off. And a blocked exhaust vent, such as a chimney or dedicated exhaust vent, can also cause a furnace to work harder. Check for things like leaves, dead animals, or bird’s nests.

The blockage may also be coming from a clogged furnace filter. You should clean or replace your furnace filter after a visual inspection reveals any type of build-up of dust or dirt. Do this at least every three-six months.

If you have a two-speed fan on your furnace, it is recommended that you run the fan in low speed during the cold months and high speed in the warm months. The reason? Warm air is lighter and takes less force to move.

There are other measures to take to prevent short cycling but these usually require a professional heating and cooling service technician to correct the problem. If in doubt, call your contractor and schedule a furnace inspection. Don’t make your furnace work any harder than it was designed for – and keep your home’s occupants comfortable and safe.

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Warning Signs of a Broken Furnace: A Tip from New Westminster

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Regular maintenance and evaluation of the condition of a home’s furnace is essential to discovering problems before they affect the ability to safely and efficiently heat your home. There are certain noticeable signs homeowners can recognize that indicate a problem with the furnace and its capacity to properly function. These indications include changes in air quality or humidity, lack of consistent heating, frequent small repairs or a flickering flame on the equipment. Given that a faulty furnace in need of repair or replacement has the potential to distribute carbon monoxide gas throughout the home, it is imperative for the health and well-being of all residents to minimize the risk of poisoning.

Replacing the air filter on a furnace should be performed annually prior to a cold weather season. Clearing all indoor and outdoor obstructions ensures that heat can flow and evenly distribute throughout the home. If proper preparations are done for the heating season and warning signs are still evident it may be time to replace the furnace.

An efficient heating system will conserve energy, reach and regulate desired temperature levels and operate with minimal noise. The majority of furnaces on the market are expected to last approximately 16-20 years. Homeowners need to be aware of the age of their furnace in order to plan for its replacement before it breaks in the middle of winter. Monitoring electric or gas bills also provides an important warning sign as the amount of time required for a furnace to heat increases as it ages and becomes less efficient.

Older furnaces begin to rattle or bang as they need to be replaced and the blower may cycle on and off frequently. The burner flame of a working furnace is blue and if a flickering or yellow flame is noted the cause may be an excessive amount of carbon monoxide leaking, a situation that can cause dangerous circumstances for the health of those living in the home. When one or multiple warning signs are present it is time to research replacements currently available on the market to continue living comfortably during the winter months. Although a furnace is a costly investment, the energy savings and elimination of repair fees helps homeowners save on heating expenses in the future.

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Furnace Fan Doesn’t Run? Why Is That? What Should You Do? A Guide from Silverdale

Monday, October 17th, 2011

There are several reasons that a furnace fan might stop working at one point or another. While many of these do require Silverdale professional‘s attention, there are probably some things you can check on your own before you go and call in the pros. After all, if you can address the problem on your own, it will at least save you from having to pay a technician to come out.

The first thing to check when your furnace is running but the fan isn’t turning is whether or not the fan is actually switched on. Certain models of furnaces have a separate switch to turn the fan on and off. While there is probably no reason that you would want to turn off the fan by itself, it’s worth taking a look just in case. If that really is the problem, you’ll be up and running and back to dealing with better things in no time.

If that’s not the problem, you might try looking to see if any wires leading to the fan are loose or the fuse is blown. If the fan has no power, of course, it won’t be able to work but the rest of the furnace likely would work just fine as long as it doesn’t run on electricity as well.

Of course, the problem very well may be beyond your power to solve on your own. Don’t despair though. Even though you need to call in a professional, that doesn’t mean that the problem will be expensive to fix. In fact, it may be as simple as replacing your thermostat or the motor for the fan itself.

Just because a fan isn’t working doesn’t mean that you’re going to be paying an arm and a leg to have work done on your furnace. If you can’t easily discover the problem on your own, however, or if you’re not comfortable inspecting this type of equipment at all, you’re generally better off just calling in an expert and letting them do the dirty work for you. Paying for simple furnace fan repairs is definitely preferable to having to pay someone to fix the fan and the stuff you broke yourself while trying to fix the fan on your own.

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